


Though Good Men Die

by Mauve_Avenger



Series: Out of Yesterday's Ashes [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 23:57:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18861565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mauve_Avenger/pseuds/Mauve_Avenger
Summary: After the fall of Ba Sing Se, the resistance must move forward. With the whole world thinking that Aang is dead, a new plan is formed. Iroh and Zuko continue their quest to find the Avatar, and along the way, make new allies.





	Though Good Men Die

**Author's Note:**

> "When You See Me" was supposed to be a stand alone, but apparently I need to invest in better plot bunny traps. There's no particular shipping in this piece, but since I guess I'm in it now, this series will eventually be Zutara. I hope you enjoy it!

It had been nearly a month since the fall of Ba Sing Se. Nearly a month of sleepless nights and days and days of planning. Nearly a month since Aang had died. The Katara buried her face in her hands and took a deep breath.

Today, was the first time in a long while that she had any time to herself. She had finally done everything she could for Aang. His body was healed, with just a star shaped scar on his chest and back to show for his grievous injury. Katara shuddered, feeling that she would never be able to forget the smell of burning flesh, or the way Aang’s heart had stuttered and stopped completely several times before she was able to stabilize him enough to even begin healing him. She thanked Tui and La- and Yue for good measure- for the vial of spirits blessed water she had gotten in the Spirit Oasis. It hadn’t gone nearly as far as Katara had hoped, but it had been enough to get Aang through those first two terrible days. Since then, Katara had been focused on fighting off infection and slowly knitting together ruined flesh. Yugoda might have been able to do it faster, but Katara’s efforts had been enough, and Aang had survived. It had been Sokka’s idea to keep that fact a secret, though.

Katara leaned against the metal railing of the ship carrying her and her friends through Fire Nation waters. Around her, men in Fire Nation military uniforms milled around aimlessly, some greeting her politely, and most ignoring her presence completely. She wasn’t surprised or even annoyed. They were mostly men from the Southern Water Tribe. They were used to treating her father with deference, but she was merely the chief’s daughter. Many of them only knew her as the chubby cheeked child she had been when they had left to join the war. The rest of them only saw a woman who had left her rightful place by the hearth to do a man’s job. None of them knew what to make of the battle tested young waterbending master who had brought the Avatar back from the brink of death, so they mostly gave her a wide berth. That was just fine with Katara. There was more than enough to keep her mind occupied.

It had been nearly a month since Katara had left Zuko and his uncle to face Azula. She had been too preoccupied with tending to Aang to think about them, but now she had plenty of time for reflection. The guilt settled and weighed on her like a waterlogged fur coat. She hadn’t heard anything about their fate. She hadn’t even known who to ask. Still, she thought the death of Fire Nation royalty, even royalty accused of treason, would have been news as major as the the death of the Avatar. But there was no way of knowing for sure. Katara turned her eyes up to the clear blue sky and found the moon hovering over the stolen Fire Nation ship. Yue was up early and sharing the azure with the sun. Katara silently pleaded with her for the safety of Zuko and his uncle. There were too few truly good people amongst the Fire Nation nobility. To lose them would be tragic.

“Sea prune for your thoughts?” Katara turned to find Bato smiling kindly at her, holding a bowl of stew out for her. Katara accepted it gratefully, suddenly realizing how chilly the air had gotten.  
“Thanks, Bato,” she said. She sat down on the deck and tucked into her meal. Bato watched her for a moment with a slight frown before he sat down beside her.

“I haven’t seen you eat in the last two days,” he observed. “I know that Aang’s health is important, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of yours.” Katara gave a careless half shrug.

“I’m fine,” she replied. “I’ve been eating in Aang’s room.”

“According to Sokka, Aang has been more or less stable for over a week now,” Bato pointed out. “Certainly well enough for you to take a break for an hour or two.”

“Sokka’s not a healer. What does he know?” Bato stroked his chin thoughtfully an nodded, ignoring the slight chill to Katara’s voice.

“No, I suppose he’s not,” he conceded. “You are the expert.”

“Sure,” Katara mumbled. She was no Yugoda, but she didn’t see a need to tell Bato that.

“He’s alright now, though?” he asked. Katara nodded.

“He’ll wake up soon, hopefully.”  
“Good. Good.” Bato seemed genuinely relieved to hear that.

They lapsed into silence for a few minutes. Katara kept her eyes on her bowl. There weren’t many sea prunes in her bowl- supplies were incredibly scarce, and the fact that Bato had managed to produce the sea prunes at all was a minor miracle. Katara carefully ate around them, wanting to save them for last.

“You know,” Bato stretched the last word out casually, as if he weren’t reaching his point. “Since Aang is on the mend, maybe you can join us for dinner tonight. Your father was just telling me how he’s barely gotten to see you since Chameleon Bay.” Katara just shrugged. There was nothing else she could do. She didn’t have an explanation for why she was so hesitant to spend time with the father she hadn’t seen in almost three years.

“I’m pretty tired,” she said at last. “I might got to bed early.” Bato seemed like he was going to insist, but decided against it.

“Well,” he sighed, climbing to his feet. “If you change your mind, there’s a seat in the mess room, for you.” He turned back to Katara and hesitated a moment before he added, “You know, it hasn’t been easy on your father. Being away from the two of you.” Katara stared into her bowl, not acknowledging Bato. Finally, he walked away, leaving Katara to her tumultuous thoughts. She was suddenly not hungry anymore. She turned to the water and dumped the last of her meal into the dark blue sea.

A commotion from the bunks drew her sharply from her musings. Smeller Bee burst through the metal doors and rushed over to Katara.

“He’s awake!” she shouted, tugging at Katara’s arms. “Aang finally woke up! Come, on! He’s freaking out!”

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

With the money that Iroh's friend had given them, he and Zuko decided it would be best to buy supplies for camping and hunting. They were now traitors to the Fire Nation, and now that Azula had conquered Ba Sing Se, there would be very few places even in the Earth Kingdom where they would be safe. So they would camp and track the Avatar and his companions. Zuko wasn't often optimistic about many things, but he was cautiously hopeful that they would find the Avatar in a week.

Three weeks after the fall of Ba Sing Se, they were running low on supplies with no sightings of the Avatar, his bison, or the Painted Lady (although Zuko was the only one looking for her). To augment their supplies, Zuko would hunt small animals both for food and fur. The fur he would take to whatever village or town they happened upon to sell or barter for food. He was getting very good at trapping and dressing, but he didn't get much return for the small pelts. Far less than the Blue Spirit would have been able to procure.

Word had reached them about two weeks into their search of the Avatar's death. Zuko and Iroh were trying to find a good deal on rice in a small village near the coast when they overhead someone discussing the battle in Ba Sing Se.

“They say the Fire Lord has given Back Sing Se and Omashu to Crown Princess Azula as a reward for killing him,” the grocery was telling an old woman as she absently picked over the overripe fruits. She shuddered and made a sign with her fingers that Zuko vaguely recognized as an Earth Kingdom ward against evil.

“If that's true,” she said bitterly, “then even the Spirits have abandoned us.” Iroh grabbed Zuko's elbow and pulled him away before the pair realized how intently the young prince had been eavesdropping. Zuko didn't say anything until they were at the edge of town.

“It can't be true,” he said, mostly to himself, as soon as the coast was clear. He paced agitatedly.

“You saw the lightning hit him,” Iroh reminded him. Zuko paused for a moment, and then shook his head and continued his journey from the tree line to the end of the town..

“No,” he rejected the idea out of hand. “Katara was with him. There's no way he died on her watch.”

“Oh?” Iroh raised an eyebrow at him, his gaze sharpening. “What does she have to do with anything?”

“She's a healer,” Zuko explained. He hadn't slowed his pacing, and he hadn't noticed his uncle's interest. “She does this thing, and her hands glow…” Zuko mimed something like what he had seen Katara doing in the orphanage.

“How do you know that?” Iroh asked. Zuko jumped and finally noticed the way Iroh was looking at him. His face burned with guilt.

“Oh... I...uh,” Zuko stammered. “Well...she healed me this one time.” Iroh's eyes widened in surprise at that.

“Well,” he said. “I see there is more that happened during our time apart than you let on.” There was a knowing gleam in Iroh's eyes that made Zuko blush even deeper.

“It's… It wasn't a...a thing,” he tried to explain. ‘I mean there was a thing but it wasn't a thing-” Then Zuko's treacherous mind replayed Katara kissing his cheek to fool the guards, and he gave up with an irritated huff.

“A thing, but not a thing,” Iroh chuckled. “Makes perfect sense.” Zuko folded his arms and scowled at the ground.

“I got hurt,” he told Iroh. “She healed me. Saved my life. And she hated me at the time. There's no way she would let the Avatar die. If he's dead, then she must be, too.” Iroh studied his nephew. His arms were still folded petulantly, but there was real concern on his face. Whatever had happened between Zuko and Katara, Iroh understood that it would hurt him to believe something had happened to her.

“Alright,” Iroh sighed at last. Zuko looked up with his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Alright?” he repeated. Iroh nodded solemnly.

“I'm afraid that we will not be having rice with dinner tonight after all,” he said. “I need to send a letter. And then we'll have a nice game of Pai Sho.”  
-:--:-:-:-:-:-

Aang's head was reeling, he looked around at his friends in a daze. Katara had sent Smellerbee and Pip Squeak off to let her father know what was going on, so it was just Katara, Sokka and Toph with him, but even that felt overwhelming.

“What happened,” he asked, turning to Katara, “to Zuko and Iroh?” Katara lowered her gaze to the floor of Aang’s cabin.

“I don’t know,” she said. “After Azula...after she shot you, they stayed behind to fight her so we could get away.” Aang’s face may have gone pale, but it was hard to tell in the dim light. He swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.

“What happened after that?” Sokka took it upon himself to catch Aang up with the events of the last month.

After the fight in Ba Sing Se, Aang’s friends had gone to Chameleon Bay, where they were able to meet up with Hakoda, Bato, and the warriors from the Southern Tribe. They had managed to steal a small Fire Nation naval vessel, and were currently sailing through Fire Nation patrolled waters. Sokka noticeably left out the details of how the ship had been captured, and Aang didn’t ask for details.

He had taken the news of his death better than anyone expected, though. Yes, he passed out, but once he regained consciousness, he listened very calmly while Sokka explained why it was a good thing that everyone thought he was dead. He waited until the older boy had finished before he refused.

“I was gone for 100 years and the Fire Nation nearly destroyed the world!” he protested. “I can't let everyone think I've abandoned the world again!”

“Calm down, Twinkle Toes.” Toph lobbed a bread roll at his head. Only fatigue kept Aang from dodging. “You're not abandoning anyone. You're making a tactical retreat.”

“I'm hiding!” Aang protested. “I'm turning tail and running, just like back then!” Katara crossed the room and sat down at the foot of Aang's bed.

“This isn't the same situation,” Katara told him. “None of us think you're a coward. And you aren't running away. We're just taking advantage of an assumption that the Fire Nation has made.”

“It gives us the element of surprise,” Sokka explained. “No one will be looking for you now. That’s a good thing.” Aang pursed his lips and thought.

“Hey,” Katara said gently, resting a hand on Aang’s arm. “You feeling up to going on deck? You should get some fresh air.” Aang looked from her hand to her kind, smiling face and nodded mutely.

It was easier said than done getting Aang on deck. After a month in a coma, his limbs were weak from disuse. Katara noted that with a frown and had a chair brought up for him. Sokka let Aang use him for support as they got him up the stairs and out onto the open deck. Aang blinked against the sudden glare of the late afternoon sun, but Katara was right about the fresh air, though. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath as Sokka lowered him into his seat, and felt almost immediately better. When he opened his eyes again, he was relieved to find that he was adjusting to the light. There was a man he didn’t recognize making his way over to them. Like all the others, he was in Fire Nation uniform, but there was such a clear resemblance between him and his children- especially Sokka- that Aang had no doubt this was Hakoda of the Southern Tribe.

“Hello, Avatar Aang,” he greeted the young boy with a slight, but kind smile. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better. I’m Hakoda.” Aang started to get up to greet him, but Toph and Katara put their hands on his shoulders to keep him in his seat.

“Um...hi,” he said instead. Hakoda reached out and clasped Aang’s arm near the his elbow- a greeting he had seen Sokka use in the Northern Tribe- and Aang returned the gesture. His arm looked laughably thin and frail in comparison to Hakoda's, but no one mentioned it. Sokka stood next to his father, unconsciously mimicking his father’s crossed arm pose.

“I’m sure the others have updated you on what’s been happening while you recovered,” Hakoda said. He glanced over at Katara, who was fiddling with her waterskin.

“We gave him a quick overview,” Sokka told his father with a shrug. “There hasn’t been much time for details yet.” Hakoda nodded, then he kneeled so he could look Aang in the eye without the boy having to crane his head back. It made Aang feel even younger than he was, but he did appreciate the relief to his neck.

“Ba Sing Se has fallen to the Fire Lord,” Hakoda told Aang. Aang’s mouth tightened, but he gave Hakoda a sharp nod.

“I heard,” he said. “And I know we’re on a Fire Nation ship. Where are we going?”

“We’re waiting for word on our final destination,” Hakoda replied. “But ultimately, we will be going ahead with our plan to invade the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun.”

  
“Sokka’s plan,” Katara corrected suddenly and harshly. Hakoda flinched and blinked in surprise at his daughter. “It was Sokka’s idea to invade, and no one but Sokka has added anything useful to it.”

“Hey, Katara relax,” Sokka laughed nervously. “There’s plenty of credit to go around.” Aang looked between father and daughter in confusion. There was a palpable tension between the two that he hadn’t noticed before. But Hakoda just nodded.

“We will go ahead with Sokka’s plan,” he said. He smiled at his son proudly. “It is an exceptional plan, and we wouldn’t have even this chance without him.” Sokka flushed and shifted on his feet bashfully.

“It’s no big deal,’ he mumbled. Then he cleared his throat and turned back to Aang. “Anyway, King Kuei and Bosco managed to get out of Ba Sing Se. He’s going to Gaoling to try to get any support he can there-”

“I gave my parents a heads up that he’s coming,” Toph jumped in. Aang turned to her in surprise. The last he knew she wasn’t on speaking terms with them. As if she realized his unasked question, Toph shrugged and added, “My parents suck, but they don’t want to see the Fire Nation take over the world any more than we do. They’ll help Kuei.”

“As I was saying,” Sokka glared at Toph. “Kuei is going to try to rally as many Earth Nation fighters as he can for the invasion. And Pakku has promised to be there with Northern Tribe reinforcements.” Sokka sighed and squared his shoulders. “We’re still going to be way out numbered, but that’s where you come in, Aang.”

“Me?” Aang balked. Sokka nodded, and a wide grin split across his face.

“You’re our big element of surprise,” he said. “They think you’re dead! Imagine the looks on their faces when you show up and go all Avatar State in their faces and they can’t bend fire!” Sokka laughed at the thought, but Aang’s eyes widened, and then his face went white and red by turns. Katara noticed with a frown.

“Are you alright?” she asked. Aang glanced at her, and tried to squash the feeling of guilt welling in his stomach.

“Just...my back…”he said. It wasn't untrue. There was a dull, but persistent ache in his back that sharpened when her breathed too deeply.

“It’s probably time for another healing session.” Katara motioned for Sokka to help her move Aang.

“I can do that,” Hakoda offered. He scooped Aang into his arms gently and waited for Katara to lead the way back to Aang’s room. Again, Hakoda made him feel like a very young child, but again, Aang appreciated not having to expend his limited energy. Katara busied herself at a large basin of water while Hakoda settled Aang. When Hakoda had lain him down on his cot, he paused and looked at Katara.

“If you need anything-” Hakoda started to say. Katara looked up at him with a tight smile.

“Thanks, Dad,” she said in a tone that couldn’t be taken as anything other than a dismissal. Hakoda hesitated, and then left finally. Katara went to work on Aang’s back. His skin tingled where Katara’s hands went over the wound, and Aang wasn’t sure if it was her power or proximity that was sending shivers down his spine.

“It’s coming along nicely,” she told him. “There’s going to be a scar, but you should be good as new in another session or two.” Aang’s shoulders sagged in relief.

“Katara?” he began, unsure of what he wanted to tell her. There were so many things to say, each seeming equally as important as the other.

“Yeah?” she replied.

“Um…” Aang glanced over his shoulder at her. She smiled at him, and Aang thought that she was worth all of Ba Sing Se. Then memories of those last moments, when he felt like he was a passenger in his own body and he saw himself floating above the fight. He remembered Azula taking aim, and then he remembered opening his eyes to see all of the past Avatars standing around him with somber expressions, and then Aang knew.

“Aang?” Katara pressed, her smile had turned into a look of concern.

“You…” Aang started to say. “I...I really was dead.” Katara’s eyes widened and she gasped. The water that had been wrapped around her hands fell, soaking Aang’s blanket and sheets.

“Your heart stopped,” she explained, pulling the water off of the bed and bending it back to the basin. “I had to use all the Spirit Water on you. I didn’t think you’d remember that. I’m sorry.”

“No!” Aang turned so he could face her. Katara cautioned him against moving so quickly. “I mean...Thank you. You...you saved my life.”

“Oh, Aang, you don’t have to thank me for that,” she said, smiling at him and fondly patting his head. Then she laughed slightly. “You know you have hair now? I didn’t realize you could grow hair.” Aang’s hands flew to his head. Sure enough his scalp was covered in a short mop of hair.

“Oh!” he gasped. “I...erm...I usually shave it off. Guess I should find a razor.”

“No, leave it,” Katara said. “It’ll keep your tattoos hidden, which works for Sokka’s plan. Besides, it looks good on you.” Aang’s heart leapt in his chest as Katara reached out to touch his hair again. He gulped and nodded in agreement.

“Oh, uh...sure.” Katara motioned for him to turn back around so she could continue working on his wound. She seemed content to work in silence, but the quiet made Aang feel fidgety. There was nothing to distract him from the fact that he was alone with Katara in a dimly lit room, or from the fact that she smelled of fresh salt air and a warm dark scent that was uniquely hers. So, he decided to speak, if only to keep from doing something embarrassing.

“So, uh...it must be nice to see your dad again,” he said. Katara froze for a second. “I know how much you and Sokka have missed him.”

“Yeah,” Katara replied shortly. “It’s been great.”

“Have you gotten to spend much time with him?” Aang asked. He couldn't see Katara roll her eyes, but he felt her get ridgid behind him. Even the water gloves seemed to get a bit cooler.

“A little bit here and there,” she told him. Aang could hear the tightness in her voice now. It was the same tone she had used in the Northern Tribe when she was trying to convince him to learn from Pakku even though he refused to teach Katara. She was pissed about something and trying not to show it. Aang wondered what had happened while he was unconscious. There were a lot of men from the Southern Tribe on the ship. Maybe, Aang considered, they were treating her like the men from the North. But Hakoda would be the only one who's opinion mattered to Katara, and he didn’t seem like he was trying to keep Katara from doing anything she wanted.

“Are you mad at your dad?” Aang asked at last.

“Why would I be mad at him?” Katara’s tone was light, but Aang wasn’t fooled.

“Did he do something?” Katara stopped him from turning around and she focused on one patch of skin that was almost completely knitted back together.

“It’s nothing,” she said. “He didn’t do anything.” It was true enough. Hakoda had been as thrilled to see his children as they had been to see them. He had expressed nothing but pride at Katara’s prowess as a water bender. He hadn’t even tried to impose his authority over Sokka and Katara as a father in the time they had been together. He treated them as equals. Katara knew that she had no reason to complain about Hakoda, but there had been something off since the day they reunited. Something that had been growing with every passing day on the ship.

“Well, if it’s nothing, why are you being so mean to him?” Katara froze. Aang hissed in surprise and flinched away from Katara, and she realized that she had literally froze the water around her hands. She melted it quickly and bent it back into the basin.

“I think we’re done for now,” she said, she stood up and headed for the door.

“Wait, what…?” Aang was left feeling bewildered. “Did I say something wrong?” The hardness in Katara’s eye and her flared nostrils said that he had said something wrong.

“No,” Katara said cooly. “Get some rest. I’ll have someone bring you something to eat.” She didn’t slam the door behind her, but she shut it firmly and definitively. Aang flinched and stared at the spot she had just been in feeling as sense of loss.

“What did I say?” he asked out loud.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Iroh wouldn’t tell Zuko who he had sent the letter to, or why it had cost all of the money they had left when generally the post only cost a fraction of what they had. To keep his nephew from questioning him in town, Iroh had bade him to go back to their campground and wait. Zuko obeyed, albeit reluctantly and with a threat of coming after his uncle if he wasn’t back in an hour. Iroh made it back within minutes of the deadline to find that Zuko had already started making dinner.

“Are you going to tell me what that was about now?” Zuko asked as he stirred the thin stew in their cooking pot.

“All in good time,” Iroh promised. “But first, I would like to have some of that wonderful smelling meal you’re making.” Zuko bit back a growl and fixed two bowls. They ate in silence, and since there wasn’t much to eat, they finished quickly. Zuko waited impatiently for Iroh to explain himself, but to his frustration, Iroh pulled out a travel sized Pai Sho game and set it up on a stone between them.

“Uncle, we don’t have time-”

“This is important, Prince Zuko,” Iroh insisted. He held up a tile, his white lotus, for Zuko to see. “Remember I have told you that Pai Sho is more than a game.” Zuko rolled his eyes.

“I know, I know,” he huffed. “It’s a game to teach military strategy and patience. But, Uncle, I don’t know if you’ve notice, but we’re not exactly on a military ship anymore. What does this have to do with anything? Who did you write to?”

“Alright,” Iroh said. “I wrote to a friend of mine in the Northern Water Tribe. I asked him for information he might have regarding your waterbender friend.” Zuko’s mouth fell open at that. He was too stunned to form a complete thought.

“Who?” he was able to get out at last. Iroh sighed and motioned for Zuko to pay attention to the game.

“Pai Sho is a truly amazing game,” Iroh said, making the first move. “It makes friends and confidantes of the oddest people.” Zuko, realizing the futility of fighting his uncle, parried his move with a pomegranate tile. Then Iroh reached out and corrected his move, something he hadn’t done since Zuko was just learning to play.

“Uncle, what are you-?”

“Please, Nephew,” Iroh cut him off. “Allow me to explain at my own pace. I promise you that all of this is pertinent information.” Zuko bit back a snort of disbelief. Iroh made another move and corrected Zuko’s move again. He frowned at the move his uncle made. It wasn’t anything he had seen before.

“I don’t understand,” Zuko muttered. “Is this a new strategy?” Iroh nodded slowly.

“Something like that,” he said. Zuko’s confusion deepened as he tried to follow what Iroh was doing on the board.

“Okay?” he said. He turned his head and squinted. It looked like there was a pattern emerging on the board. It looked like half a flower.

“I have played Pai Sho for many years,” Iroh continued. “But it wasn’t until after the death of my son that I took it up with any earnest.” Zuko’s ears perked at that. He knew very little about the years between Lu Ten’s death and his uncle’s return to the Fire Nation. No one did. He never explained where he was during that time. It figured that he had spent them wandering the world playing Pai Sho. Iroh, as if he had heard Zuko’s thoughts, looked up and smiled self-deprecatingly.

“Through this game I have gotten to know many people across the three nations,” he told Zuko. “Very learned people with very interesting ideas.”

“What are you saying, Uncle?” Zuko asked. The shape was beginning to take form, though the moves still made little sense. Iroh was moving pieces in ways that they shouldn’t move.

“There are people in the world who want to see this war end,” Iroh explained. “Who have been working towards that end since the days of my grandfather. It wasn’t until after my own loss that I was ready to consider those points of view. I spent years just listening and learning and changing my mind about many, many things. Then one day, when I was ready, someone sat me down, as I am with you, and showed me the game.” Iroh pulled his hands away from the Pai Sho board and sat back so Zuko could see the tiles forming the shape of a lotus flower on the board.

“What does it mean?” Zuko looked up at Iroh with his brows furrowed in confusion. “These aren’t legal moves in Pai Sho.” Iroh nodded.

“No,” he agreed. “But then, the Order of the White Lotus isn’t entirely operating within the binds of legality.” Zuko reared back, shaking his head.

“Excuse me, the Order of what?”

“The White Lotus,” Iroh chuckled. “It’s an underground society devoted to the spread of truth and balance in the world.” Zuko scowled and crossed his arms.

“That sounds like Avatar stuff.” Iroh nodded at him.

“It does at that. It’s also been very practical for me. The Order’s network extends quite far.” Zuko’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“How far?” he asked. Now Iroh shifted uncomfortably under his nephew’s gaze. That was unusual for him, and Zuko knew he had hit on something. He leaned over the board and repeated himself through gritted teeth. “Uncle, how far?”

“I was able to use my connections to gather a crew for your ship three years ago,” Iroh admitted. Zuko blinked in surprise.

  
“What...Why didn’t you tell me?” Zuko demanded. He leapt up, running a hand through his hair in agitation. After three weeks on the run, it had grown out considerably and now reached his ears, a length it hadn’t been in years.

“I couldn’t tell you,” Iroh told him with preternatural calm. “You weren’t an inductee.” Zuko rounded on him.

“And I am now?” he asked. “What other perks of this secret society were you hiding? Was that guy in Ba Sing Se, the one that gave you money, was he in on it? Is that why he gave me that random tile?”

“Anik was the head of the White Lotus in Ba Sing Se,” Iroh confirmed. “I have known him the longest. He...I met him after Lu Ten’s death. He is the one who connected me with Nam-Ji. Song’s mother, Eun-hye, is also a member.” Zuko was beside himself. He had the strangest feeling of wanting to sit down and wanting to pace at the same time. As a result, he froze completely and stared down at his uncle.

“Why would they help us?” he asked Iroh. “Why would people in the Earth Kingdom, or the Northern Tribe want to help us when we were trying to capture the Avatar? Why would they help us when we were trying to help my father win the war?” Iroh looked uncomfortable again. He chuckled nervously.

“They thought it best if I was with you to keep track of your progress,” he replied. Zuko narrowed his eyes at Iroh.

“You weren't going to let me capture him, were you?” The words came out accusing and bitter. Iroh shrank away from the barbs.

“Please, Nephew, you must understand-”

“Understand?” Zuko repeated incredulously. “Understand how you lied to me for years? You didn't think I deserved to know what you were planning? What would you have done if I had actually caught him?” Iroh sighed.

“I would have released him,” he admitted. Zuko seethed in rage, and to his annoyance, there was a familiar stinging behind his eyes.

“Why didn't you tell me?” he demanded, wiping at his eyes roughly. “Why didn't you just tell me about all of this? You let me waste three years of my life!”

“It wasn't a waste,” Iroh insisted. “You needed that time to learn who you were apart from your father. You needed to find your own destiny.”

“Destiny,” Zuko scoffed. “And why did you keep the White Lotus a secret?” Iroh turned his gaze to the ground.

“As I told you, you weren't an inductee,” he said. “And what I was doing- what I'm a part off- is treason against the Fire Lord.”

“So you didn't trust me?” That hurt Zuko worse than the secrets Iroh had kept.

“It's not that simple,” Itoh said quietly. “You had to be free to make your own choices. I couldn't add the burden of my crimes to your shoulders. Whether or not I thought you would turn me in to your father is irrelevant, because no matter what you chose, you would have to carry the weight of it.”

“You really thought there was a chance I would turn on you?”

It didn't matter that he hadn't been interested in capturing the Avatar in a long time. It didn't matter that he and Iroh were on their way to join him and teach the kid firebending. It didn't matter that Zuko knew he would never gain his father's love and respect. All Zuko could focus on then was the fact that his uncle, the only person in the world he knew he could trust had been working against him for years. Had kept a huge part of his life a secret from him because he thought Zuko would turn on him.

Zuko didn't even know where to focus his anger and hurt. He looked from his uncle to the Pai Sho board to the trees. Finally, with a frustrated scream, Zuko brought his hands down and sent their fire in a tall column into the night sky. Then he stormed off into the woods.

“Where are you going?” Iroh called after him.

“To drown myself in the river,” Zuko snapped. Iroh started to follow him, but decided that his nephew needed some cooling off space. He packed up the Pai Sho board, and rinsed out their dishes in the spare water from dinner. Then he laid out their sleeping bags and waited for Zuko to return.  
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-  
Trouble found the crew around midday the day after Aang woke up. The other Fire Nation vessel was bigger, but it still had speed on its side. The crew onboard the conquered ship barely enough time to put on their disguises before the captain hailed them. Hakoda ordered the children below deck, which the Freedom Fighters obeyed without hesitation, Sokka in his too big helmet stubbornly refused to go. Katara only went because there weren’t any uniforms in her size, and she took Toph because she was too young and would have drawn attention. Still, they only went as far as the stairs leading to the barracks and listened as the captain of the other ship boarded with two sailors trailing behind him.

“I’m Captain Huang of the Azulon,” he introduced himself. “I wasn’t aware that the Sozin’s Triumph was scheduled to patrol these waters, Captain…”

“Wei Qi,” Hakoda said without hesitation. “We weren’t scheduled, but we ran into some trouble near Chameleon Bay.”

“Oh?” Captain Huang’s eyebrow shot up. “What kind of trouble?”

“None that we couldn’t handle,” Bato assured him. The captain turned to Bato and eyed him suspiciously.

“And you are?” Bato straightened up and met his eye.

“Yuan, sir,” he replied. “Ship’s mate.” Huang stared him down with a disapproving frown before he turned back to Hakoda.

“You would do well to remind your subordinates not to speak out of turn, Captain…?”

“Wei Qi,” Hakoda reminded him. “And I will deal with him later.”

“See that you do.” Huang ran his gaze over Hakoda and frowned. “What was this trouble in Chameleon Bay?”

“Some rebels tried to board and steal the ship,” Hakoda told him. “We handled them, but now we find ourselves needing to head to Ya Qin to restock. The admiral is aware of our change in plans.”

“Is that so,” Huang asked. Hakoda nodded silently. Huang scanned the deck once again, his eyes lingering on Sokka. Hakoda stepped closer to him and smiled at Huang.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” he asked. Huang returned his smile and shook his head.

“I believe I got everything I came for,” he replied. “May Agni guard your journey.” Hakoda nodded and then turned to the men standing behind him.

“Back to work,” he snapped. Bato, Sokka and the others did as he commanded and Huang turned to the men with him and bade them to go back to their own ship.

“But sir,” one of the men hissed. “There is no Wei Qi listed as the captain of the Sozin's Triumph.”

“I'm aware,” Huang said. He glanced down the stairwell leading to the sleeping quarter on his way to the gangplank. “When we get back, have cannons turned on this ship.” From her hiding place beneath the stairs, Katara gasped in horror. Then, almost before she could process, Toph leapt up from beside her and on to the deck.

“No you don't!” she declared. Two sheets flew off the side of the ship's deck and wrapped themselves around Huang and his two guards. The captain had only enough time to look at Toph with horrifies confusion before she stomped her foot. The deck pitched violently beneath her and sent the three men overboard and sinking to the bottom of the sea.

The commotion had drawn the attention of the crews of both ships. Some of the sailors aboard the Azulon had witnessed the attack on their captain and sounded the alarm. Hakoda rushed over to Toph and Katara with Sokka and Bato right on his heels.

“What happened?” He demanded.

“They were planning to sink us,” Katara told him. “We heard the captain telling the others.” Sokka gestured over at the other ship where the sailors were scrambling.

“I don't think you changed their minds, guys,” he said sarcastically. Katara growled and pushed her brother aside and went to the rail of the ship.

“What’s happening?” Aang had appeared at the top of the stairs, pale and shaking as he took in the chaos. No one answered him, but it became apparent anyway. Katara raised her hands and the ship started rocking as the sea answers her command. Men on Azulon realized what she was doing too late. A few of the firebenders threw balls of flame at her, but the rolling of the ship beneath them knocked them off balance, and not one hit their mark. They didn't get another chance.

Cries of alarm filled the air as a large wave rose from the sea and smashed into Azulon's hull. The ship listed dangerously on its side for a moment before gravity took over. Men clung to the masts and rails crying out for whatever spirits would listen to save them, but it was too late. Azulon was sinking. Then with another motion of Katara's arms Sozin's Triumph was suddenly speeding away from Azulon's final resting place.

“Katara!” Aang cried. He rushed up behind her and tried to still her arms. “What are you doing? You can't just leave them like that!” Katara shook him off and carried on. He was going to try again, but a heavy hand fell on his shoulder. Sokka's face was set grimly as he pulled Aang away from his sister.

“Leave her be, Aang,” he said. Aang gaped at him and started to protest, but the Toph appeared at his other side and helped Sokka steer him away.

“Katara just saved us all,” she told him. “There’s nothing else we could have done.” Aang's wide eyes jumped from Sokka to Toph then back to Katara. She was moving the ship along as if it were her only purpose. He couldn't even see the other ship anymore. He stopped struggling as his friends guided him back to his bunk. As he lay down, he didn't think he would ever be able to forget the sound of the screams.  
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Zuko eventually returned to camp, damp from the river and steaming from bending himself dry. It was so late by that time that Iroh had begun to doze. He roused himself with a startled snort and tried to talk to Zuko. But the younger man was not in the mood to talk. He heated away as much of the remaining water from his clothes and burrowed into his sleeping bag with a clipped good night.

He didn't say much more to Iroh for the next week afterwards. It fell to Iroh to supply most of the conversation as they travelled. He told Zuko more about the Order of the White Lotus, telling him how to find members and introducing him to the secret codes and all the things that Zuko never asked about but Iroh insisted he needed to know anyway. It was a miserable trek for Zuko.

Two weeks after Iroh sent his letter, he and Zuko stopped in a small town near the edge of the Earth Kingdom. Iroh seemed to know exactly where he was going, and Zuko, still not in the mood for much conversation, didn't ask any questions. It turned out that he didn't need to, anyway. Iroh led the way to a tavern off the main road. By now, Zuko knew enough to understand that the white lotus flower on a green background painted innocuously on the corner of the tavern's sign was more than just a pretty flourish.

Inside of the tavern was dark, lit by low burning sconces and furnished in old indistinguishable wood that had been turned almost black by age and repeated staining. The air was heavy with the smell of pipe smoke and strong alcohol. As it was midday, there weren't many patrons- a couple of men sat at the bar, nursing drinks that didn't seem to be tea; one or two booths held people eating lunches and talking in hushed tones. Then Zuko noticed woman sitting alone in the back corner, which managed to be the darkest spot in the already dark tavern. She seemed to be in her forties, though in the poor light, she may have been older or younger by some years. Her salt and peppered hair was swept up into a severe bun at the crown of her head, and there was a sternness to her face that seemed to dare anyone to step out of line while she was around.There was a Pai Sho board set up in front of her, as if she were waiting for an opponent to join her. She was sipping from a porcelain cup that looked too fine for the gritty tavern. Iroh made straight for her and smiled at her kindly.

“May I have this game?” He asked. The woman motioned for him to sit on the other side of the booth. Iroh grabbed Zuko's sleeve before he could go find a seat somewhere else. The woman's eyebrow went up and she eyed Zuko with an unnervingly sharp sweep.

“This is my nephew,” Iroh explained. “He is learning to play the game.” Zuko was about to snap that he knew how to play the game, but a significant glance from Iroh stilled his tongue. Instead, he folded his arms petulantly as Iroh began the ritual that he had drilled into Zuko’s head as they trekked through the woods.

“By all means,” the woman said. “The guest has the first move.” Iroh lay his white lotus tile in the center of the board. The woman glanced up at him.

“I see you favor the white lotus gambit,” she said. She cupped her hands together, with her fingertips pressed together in a way that to an outsider, Zuko was sure looked casual. “Not many still cling to the ancient ways.” Iroh smiled at her and cupped his hands in the same manner.

“Those who do can always find a friend,” he countered. Zuko did his best to not roll his eyes. After hearing his uncle recite the phrases all week, the words sounded unbelievably stilted and intentionally mysterious.

“Then let us play.” The old woman and Iroh lay out a series of tiles in the pattern that Iroh had shown Zuko that first night. Very quickly the tiles formed a lotus flower. The woman pressed her hands together and bowed slightly to Iroh.

“Welcome, brothers. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets.” This time Zuko did roll his eyes, but he managed to stifle his groan. The woman stood up and motioned for Iroh and Zuko to follow her.

She led them behind the bar to a door in the corner. It let them into a small storage room. Shelved lined the walls holding bottles, some empty some filled. Zuko figured whatever the tavern served was most likely stilled on site. The room was just big enough to hold the three of them- and that not very comfortably, but the woman motioned for them to wait. She went over to a wall with an almost empty shelf and planted her feet wide. With one swift motion, she opened the stone wall, and Zuko finally realized that she was an earthbender.

“Down the stairs,” she ordered the pair. Iroh went down and Zuko followed him. The woman brought up the rear and replaced the wall. The stairs led to a long winding corridor that eventually opened up to a cavern the size of a small sitting room. It had, in fact, been done to look like a sitting room with a low table and comfortable, if a bit threadbare looking cushions piled around it. There was even a stove and equipment to make tea. The woman turned and bowed to Zuko and Iroh once more.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” she said. “I am Reina. It is an honor to have you here, Grand Lotus Iroh.”

  
“So you know who I am then.” Iroh returned her bow and after a moment’s hesitation, so did Zuko.

“I was told you might visit,” Reina told him. She turned to Zuko with that same penetrating stare as before and said, “You must be Prince Zuko. I wasn’t told you had been initiated.”

“I haven’t had time to meet with the other elders,” Iroh explained. “His initiation process was necessarily a bit unorthodox.” Reina hummed and pressed her lips. Zuko got the distinct impression that she didn’t approve of the unorthodoxy at all.

“It seems there is much to discuss,” she said at last. “I’ll make us some tea. And I’m sure you’d like something to eat.” She sniffed the air delicately. “And perhaps a bath a little later.”

Zuko’s face was flooded with heat, but Iroh took the comment in stride. He chuckled a bit and nodded.

“A bath would be lovely,” he said. “We have been on the move for quite some time. Amenities have been hard to come by.”

“I see.” Reina looked at Iroh and nodded to the hearth of the stove. “Grand Lotus, if you would?”

“My pleasure.” Iroh leaned down towards the stove and lit the fire wood with a gentle motion. Zuko hadn’t mastered that yet. All of his firebending moves were sharp and aggressive. He even made lighting candles look hostile. The part of him that acknowledge he wouldn’t be able to stay this angry with his uncle for long hoped that Iroh would be able to show him some more advanced forms of firebending along with the Avatar.

Reina put the water on to boil and prepared the tea service. Then she went to a wall and opened it to reveal a pantry holding meats, cheeses and bread. The natural cool of the stone chamber kept everything fresh, she explained to the two firebenders. She also told them that there were more chambers underground, mostly rooms for members of the Order who were passing through and needed a safe place to sleep.

“I don’t live here myself,” Reina explained. “Understand, I would prefer it, but my husband is not a member of the Order, and he doesn’t know that I am either.” She set the tray of food down on the table with a shrug. “Although, I suppose we’ll see how much longer that’ll last.”

“The Order’s going public?” Zuko asked. Reina turned to him with a raised brow and a smirk on her lips.

“So you do speak,” she said. “Here I was beginning to think you were mute.” Zuko shrugged and mumbled something incoherent.

“It’s been a trying time for my nephew,” Iroh jumped in. He looked at Zuko with a disappointed frown. Zuko folded his arms and scowled at the fireplace.

“Never mind,” Reina assured Iroh.“I have teenagers myself. Sullen beasts. All of them.” Zuko wanted to roll his eyes again, but both of the adults were watching him, and he didn’t want to give them the satisfaction. Fortunately, the tea water was beginning to boil. Iroh offered to take over preparing the tea.

“I find it very therapeutic, if you’ll allow the breech in custom,” he said. Reina happily allowed him to take over. Soon, the three of them sat down at the table, food and tea spread out before them.

“I suppose you have quite a story to tell,” Reina said. “I understand that you were there at the fall of Ba Sing Se.” Iroh took a long sip of his tea before he confirmed the story.

“My niece was able to turn the Dai Li over to her side,” Iroh told her. Reina’s mouth tightened and pulled down at the corners, but she didn’t seem surprised.

“I’ve never liked the Dai Li,” she said. “I’ve met a few of their agents, and there was something about them that set my teeth on edge.”

“Indeed.” Iroh nodded solemnly. He told Reina the rest of their story; the battle with Azula and her agents; the Avatar’s grave wound; how they escaped and what they’ve been doing in the month since.

“And now you and your nephew are hoping to find the Avatar alive?” Reina asked. “What make you so sure that he’s still alive?” Iroh paused a moment, giving Zuko an opportunity to join the conversation, but he stubbornly kept his silence as he ate. Iroh sighed in resignation and turned back to Reina.

“He was travelling with a waterbender,” he explained. “According to my nephew, she is a very talented healer.”

“Just because the Avatar had a healer with him, it doesn’t mean he survived,” Reina pointed out. “A healer- even a very talented one- is no miracle worker.”

“If anyone could pull off a miracle, she could,” Zuko snapped. He did not risk his life so Katara could get away only for her to not be able to heal the Avatar. Then Zuko noticed how quiet Reina and Iroh had gotten. Iroh was watching him with probing eyes and a small smile at the corners of his mouth. Reina just sipped her tea primly.

“Excuse me,” she sniffed. “I didn’t mean to insult your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Zuko shouted. His voice echoed off of the stone walls of the small room. Reina set her tea down and narrowed her eyes at Zuko.

“I will not entertain temper tantrums,” she told him sternly. “You are not a child, but if you insist on acting like one, I will send you out of the room while the adults speak.” The wall behind Reina opened up revealing another room at the end of a short corridor. Zuko glared at the opening for a moment before looking back down at his plate. Iroh nudged him discreetly with his elbow.

“Sorry,” Zuko muttered. Reina smirked and the wall slammed shut again.

“You are forgiven.” She cleared her throat and turned back to Iroh. “I have received word from Grand Lotus Pakku. There is apparently an invasion being planned for the Day of Black Sun being helmed by a team from the Southern Tribe.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Zuko asked. His tone was just short of rude, but neither Reina nor Iroh scolded him for it.

“From what I understand, it’s very pertinent,” Reina replied. “They are being led by Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe. His daughter- who I understand is the last waterbender in the South- trained under Pakku.”

“He’s Katara’s father?” Zuko asked, suddenly interested. Reina nodded.

“If that’s his daughter’s name, then yes,” she said. “From what I understand Hakoda’s son is heading the planning for the invasion. I believe they are travelling together now.” Zuko leaned forward eagerly. This was better than he could have hoped. Katara was alive, and someone knew where she was.

“Do you know where they are?” Iroh asked. “Or where they are heading?” Reina shook her head.

“The last Pakku heard from them, they were in Chameleon Bay, but I doubt they are still there. There was no mention of the Avatar being alive, though.” Zuko dismissed that. Of course the Avatar was alive.

“Well,” Iroh said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “It’s a place to start, anyway.” Reina stood up and began gathering the plates.

“I’ll bring you Pakku’s letter to you later,” she said. “I need to get back to prepare for the night shift.”

“Night shift?” Zuko asked, curious in spite of himself.

“I own the tavern,” Reina explained. “Well, I and my husband. Though he’s more of silent partner.” She set the dishes in a basin and then turned and stomped her foot. The cavern was filled with the sounds of earth slamming against earth as she opened the pantry, the walls leading to the corridors and from the sound of it several others besides.

“You have free reign down here,” Reina told the two men. “There are two bedrooms, a bathroom and a reading room. If you decide to take a bath- and I suggest you do- there are some extra tunics and pants in the guest rooms. I’ll bring you more appropriate clothes later. Help yourself to food if you get hungry. You’re welcome to come up to the tavern, if you’d like. But I’ll ask you to be discreet in your comings and goings.” With that Reina left through the corridor leading back up to the tavern. Iroh and Zuko stared at each other for a moment after she’d gone.

“That was much more good news than I’d hoped for,” Iroh said with a wide smile. Zuko felt his irritation at his uncle rise up in his chest again. With a huff, he started off down into the rest of the underground shelter.

“I’m going to take a bath,” he grumbled. Iroh was left on his own, frowning after his nephew. This was going to take longer than he thought.  
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The men on the ship looked at Katara differently after the encounter with the Fire Nation soldiers. There was respect in their eyes now; there was awe. Some of them gave her a wide berth as she passed, as if she were royalty or some vengeful deity from the spirit world, some even bowed. It shouldn't have been a surprise, after all none of them had ever seen true waterbending before. But it felt strange all the same. Good, but strange.

Katara reflected that Aang's reaction shouldn't have been a surprise. Where the men of the Water Tribe were deferential, Aang was solemn and morose. He hadn't spoken to her in two days. Not even during their healing sessions. It hurt, but Katara knew she had to let him process on his own time, so she didn't push. Sokka, though, did not have any such reservations.

“Why are you being such a jerk to Katara?” he asked Aang. He was leaning against the door of Aang’s room, cutting slices off a moon peach and popping them into his mouth.

“What do you mean?” Aang blinked up at him in surprise. Sokka just raised an eyebrow at him.

“You’re going out of your way to avoid her,” he said. “And when you do have to be around her, you barely say two words to her. Everyone’s noticed, you know. And she probably won’t tell you herself, but you’re hurting her feelings. So what gives?” Aang tried to work his mouth to form a denial, but he couldn’t force the words out. Sokka spared him the necessity of the lie though and cut right to the chase.

“Is this about the other ship?” he asked point blank. Aang turned his gaze down to the floor, and Sokka knew he found the truth.

“She wasn’t even sorry about it,” Aang said.

“What’s she got to be sorry about?” Sokka snorted. Aang looked up at him, wide eyed and anguished.

“What do you mean?” he demanded. “There were people on that ship! She sank it an left them there with no help. There’s no way they....they didn’t…”

“It was them or us.” Sokka dropped his knife and the rest of his peach with a yelp. He hadn’t notice Toph coming up behind him until she spoke. Instead of teasing Sokka as she would normally have done, she stepped into the room. Her face was grim set and her unnerving sightless eyes were fixed on Aang.

“There had to be another way,” Aang insisted. “We could have taken them prisoner, or left them a lifeboat or-”

“Or invited them over for tea to talk about giving peace a chance?” Toph sneered. “They were going to kill us Aang. They were going to blast holes in this ship and send us to the bottom of the sea. And you can bet they weren’t going to take prisoners or leave us a lifeboat. Katara did what she had to. I did what I had to. You remember that I took out a the captain and his men, right? You aren’t avoiding me.” Aang couldn’t meet his friends eyes. How to make them understand? How to explain why what Katara did was different from what Toph did? He didn’t even understand why himself.

“The monks taught me that all life is sacred,” he told his friends. “Even the life of an enemy. We just left all those men to die. It...it doesn’t feel right.”

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Toph shook her head half exasperated, half pitying. “We’re at war, Aang. Casualties are going to happen. Not fighting back against those soldiers wouldn’t have accomplished anything except assure that we all would have died. Including you, for real this time.”

“Your monks weren’t totally against fighting back either,” Sokka said. Aang flinched then leapt to his feet, bearing down on Sokka indignantly.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” he shouted. Sokka folded his arms and looked down at his friend.

“Don’t I?” he scoffed. “I was at the air temple with you. There were plenty of Fire Nation skeletons, too. Or do you think all of those soldiers just decided to self-immolate after they slaughtered all the Air Nomads?”

“Stop!” Aang was seething, but Sokka wasn’t finished.

“And your hands aren’t exactly clean either,” he reminded Aang. “Remember the Northern Tribe? If I remember, you sank way more than one ship.”

“That wasn’t me!” Aang looked like he was ready to hit Sokka. The older boy stood his ground, almost daring Aang to take a swing at him.

“No?” he laughed. “Because it looked like you. How many of those men do you think survived that? How much of the Northern Tribe do you think would have survived if you hadn’t done it?”

  
“It wasn’t me!” Aang insisted. His face was red, and his eyes shiny with unshed tears. “It was La who destroyed all of those ships.” Sokka shrugged.

“It couldn’t have happened without you,” he reasoned. “Same difference. Or maybe even worse, since Katara was in control and you just periodically rage out and destroy things.”

“Sokka, come on,” Toph tugged at Sokka’s shirt. “He’s had enough.” Sokka pulled away from Toph.

“No!” he said. “He doesn’t get to treat my sister like some sort of criminal after she saved everyone on this ship! You don’t get to do that, Aang! And you don’t get to act like your black and white moral code is the end all be all. Not after missing 100 years of the Fire Nation destroying the whole world.” Aang shrank away from Sokka as if the older boy had struck him physically. He wiped angrily at his face, trying and failing to stop crying. This seemed to finally cut through Sokka’s anger. He sighed and dropped his arms to his sides.

“Look,” he said after a moment. “I get it, you’re a kid, and this is a lot for you to handle. But Aang, you’re also the Avatar, and you have a job to do. I mean this in the kindest way possible, but you need to grow up.” Sokka ran his eyes over Aang, sizing him up, and- Aang suspected- finding him lacking. Then he shook his head and left. Toph lingered just a moment longer than he did.

“You need to apologize to Katara,” she told him.  
Then she left, too, shutting the door behind her.

  
Aang had every intention of doing just what Toph said. Once he had gathered himself and cleaned his face, he left the solitude of his cabin and went on deck in search of Katara. His friends were right, he decided. He hadn’t been fair to Katara, and he was sure he was just adding to the guilt she must have been feeling. Gentle, caring Katara, the girl with healing hands had been forced to hurt people and the very least Aang could do was make sure she knew that he didn’t see her as a monster. But when he found her, on the deck of the ship, he discovered he couldn’t find the words. She turned from the stern of the ship, where she had been watching the water and turned to him. She offered him a smile, and Aang smiled back at her. When he joined her at the rail, he knew he didn’t have to say the words. She already forgave him, and he decided he had forgiven her, too.  
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-  
Iroh and Zuko stayed at Reina's underground bunker for nearly a week. She visited often, bringing fresh clothes and food, and for Iroh conversation. He felt he owed her a debt of gratitude for breaking the silence a few times a day those first few days. Zuko had persisted in his silent until the third day underground.

On that day Reina had just left them after lunch, and a real game of Pai Sho. Iroh chattered on about her skill in the game and how kind of a host she had been while Zuko cleaned up the dishes. Iroh had not expected his nephew to respond. When he did, speak, it almost startled the older man.

“What is a Grand Lotus?” Zuko asked.

“Hmm?” Iroh blinked at Zuko in surprise.

“Reina keeps calling you Grand Lotus.” Zuko kept his eyes carefully on the plate he was washing. Iroh thought that the plate would be cleaner than when it was first made, but he chose not to comment on it.

“The Grand Lotus is something of a leadership title,” he explained. “Mostly it means I have the authority to call for a meeting. I'm the Grand Lotus for the Fire Nation. There are Grand Lotuses for the Earth Kingdom and the Northern Water Tribe as well.” Zuko hummed in reply and fell back into silence once again. Iroh waited a moment for him to say something more, but it seemed Zuko had reached his self imposed word limit.

On their second to last day in the bunker, Reina arrived after dinner with a letter addressed Iroh. It was sealed with wax stamped with a lotus blossom. Official business, Zuko figured.

“Well, Reina,” Iroh said once he had read its contents, “it seems we will not be imposing on your hospitality much longer.”

“What did it say, Uncle?” Zuko asked. Iroh turned to him with a small smile.

“I have just been advised on the whereabouts of a small team of Southern Tribe warriors heading towards the rendezvous.” Zuko's eyes widened at the news.

“When do we leave?” he demanded.

“Well I'll try not to take that personally,” Reina sniffed.

“Sorry.” Zuko bowed his head apologetically, but only so Reina couldn't see him roll his eyes. He appreciated having an actual bed to sleep in, but he had been too conscious of how much time he and Iroh had lost in their stay. He was ready to go.

“They are stopping in Taihe next week,” Iroh said. “If we leave within the next day or two, we should be able to catch them.” Zuko did his best to hide his relief. Reina and Iroh talked about the logistics of travelling, but Zuko couldn't hear him over the sound of blood rushing in his ears. This had been the goal since leaving Ba Sing Se the month before, but now it was upon them, and it suddenly hit Zuko. He was on his way to find the Avatar, not to capture him to present to his father, but to train him and overthrow the Fire Lord. Zuko was nauseous with nerves, but beneath that he was surprised to find there was no conflict in his choice. Only cold, steely resolve.

“If you can wait until the day after tomorrow,” Reina was telling Iroh, “I can send you off with some provisions.”

“Thank you, Reina.” Iroh stood and bowed to her. “There is no way for us to repay your kindness-”

“And no need,” Reina assured him. “I'm as anxious as anyone to see the end if this war. If my small contribution can bring us closer to that goal, then that will be reward enough.” Reina stood and clapped her hands as if trying to shake off dirt. “I suppose I should go see a man about an ostrich horse or two. Good night, Grand Lotus. Prince Zuko.”

As Reina promised, Iroh and Zuko were supplied not only with clothes, food and camping equipment, but also with two sturdy ostrich horses. Iroh put up a protest to these as far too extravagant, but Reina wouldn't let him refuse them. Zuko was glad when she was able to put the reins into Iroh's hands. They would be able to cover ground much quicker with the animals. Zuko thanked Reina sincerely when he finished packing his mount's saddle bags.

“Thank you for everything,” he said bowing deeply. He was suddenly conscious of how disrespectful he had been to Reina during his time in the town. He didn't have his uncle's way with words, or any fathomable means of repaying her, even if she would allow such a display of gratitude. As Zuko straightened up, though, Reina was smiling kindly at him, and he thought maybe she understood what he wasn't able to say.

“You remind me so much of my youngest son,” she told him. “Be very careful on your journey, Prince Zuko. I would like to be able to play a game of Pai Sho with you when this is all over.” Zuko smiled tightly and agreed.

It didn’t take the full week for Zuko and Iroh to reach Taihe. As Zuko hoped, travelling on horseback allowed them to cover much more ground. So the pair found themselves in the small Earth Kingdom port town two days ahead of Hakoda’s men. Though the White Lotus did have a presence in Taihe, there was no safe house there. An elderly man named Nam Joo arranged for Zuko and Iroh to stay at an inn while they waited. They took up their aliases from Ba Sing Se once more, though they didn’t plan to spend much time socializing during their stay. Even the ever affable Iroh didn’t seem to be in a social mood. Much of the next two days were spent between their room and the tavern downstairs. Once, Iroh went to speak with Nam Joo privately. He didn’t offer any details about the meeting, and Zuko didn’t ask. Finally, in the evening of the second day, the town stirred with news that a Fire Nation naval ship was spotted in the waters off the coast. Nam Joo arrived at the inn and took Iroh and Zuko with him to the docks where a crowd was beginning to gather.

“What do we do?” someone asked anxiously. “There aren’t enough earthbenders in town to hold them off.”

“Them ain’t Fire Nation soldiers,” one man commented. He had a spyglass raised to his eye and he watched a rowboat make its way to the docks. “They don’t look like no soldiers I ever seen.”

“They must be with the resistance,” someone declared with a gasp. That sent a ripple of tense excitement through the crowd. Zuko and Iroh exchanged looks and followed Nam Joo to the beach. The row boat made it to the shore and Nam Joo greeted the men climbing out. Zuko knew Hakoda immediately. He looked like an older version of Katara’s brother Sokka. Nam Joo spoke with him for a few moment, passing him an envelope before Hakoda scanned the crowd along the beach, his mouth pressed into a grim line. He said something to Nam Joo, then got back into the row boat and headed back to the ship.

“What’s going on?” Zuko whispered. “Where is he going?” Iroh put a hand on Zuko’s shoulder and shook his head.

“Patience, Nephew,” he said. Nam Joo headed back towards the town, ignoring the riot of questions being thrown at him.

“Where’s he going?” Zuko demanded. Iroh shrugged.

“Let’s head back to the inn,” he suggested. “It’s almost time for dinner.” Zuko wanted to scream in frustration, but he held it in and followed his uncle back to the inn.

Later that evening, long after they had eaten and the inn had gone quiet for the night, there was a knock at Zuko and Iroh’s door. Nam Joo stood there, smiling blithely. He bowed to Iroh and Zuko respectfully.

“Grand Lotus,” he greeted Iroh. “Prince Zuko.” Zuko surmised that there was no fear of being overheard, but the use of their real names made his stomach clench.

“What news do you have for us?” Iroh asked.

“The crew is moored at an inlet not far from here,” Nam Joo said. “Please pack as quickly as you can, and I will take you to them. I’ll meet you downstairs in ten minutes.”

“Does everything with your Pai Sho friends have to be so cloak and dagger?” Zuko grumbled when Nam Joo had gone. Iroh chuckled.

“I suppose we do have a flair for the dramatic,” he admitted. “But you’ll have to excuse a bunch of old bookworms. There is so little excitement at our age.” Zuko just rolled his eyes and stuffed his few belongings into his bag and pulled up the hood of his cloak.

“Let’s go,” he said.

It was decided that the ostrich horses would be left behind. Iroh figured that would more than suffice as payment for their stay at the inn. Nam Joo agreed, and the three set off on foot down towards the beach and then down to the stone jetty. It took an hour of scrambling over sharp, wet rocks to get to the drop overlooking the inlet where the ship had docked, then another half an hour of carefully picking their way down the steep incline to finally reach the camp. There was a fire burning and the men from the ship were milling around eating or taking deep swigs from metal mugs. There didn’t seem to be many of them, so Zuko figured the rest of the team were back on the ship. That would explain why he hadn’t seen Katara or her friends around the campfire.

Hakoda stood when he saw them approaching. Nam Joo motioned for them to wait as he went to meet with the Water Tribe man. Zuko realized for the first time just how large and imposing Hakoda was. In the shifting glow of the fire, his face could have been carved from stone. He cast Iroh and Zuko an appraising look. It wasn’t exactly friendly, but it wasn’t hostile either. Finally, Nam Joo called them over and made introductions.

“General Iroh, Prince Zuko,” he said. “This is Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe.” Zuko didn’t know much about the political structure of the the Southern Tribe, but he understood the word Chief. Hakoda was the leader of the Tribe. Royalty. Zuko and Iroh pressed their hands together, fist to open palm and bowed respectfully to him. Hakoda just watched them for a long moment, arms akimbo and face stern.

“I have to admit, I was surprised when Master Pakku wrote me that you two were coming,” he said at last. “I’ve met a few defectors from the Fire Nation, but I never thought I would find Fire Nation royalty among them.”

“This war has taken its toll everywhere,” Iroh told him. “Even we long for peace. If the only way to achieve that is to stop my brother, then we will.”

“How do I know you aren’t just using this as an opportunity to usurp the throne?” Hakoda asked him. He was almost glaring at Iroh, but Iroh in his usual form didn’t let it faze him.

“I suppose you don’t,” he said. “After all, usurpation will be a natural consequence of ending the war. All I can offer you is my word that peace is our main goal, not power.” Hakoda studied Iroh intently, then Zuko. Suddenly, Zuko understood where Katara had gotten her piercing gaze.

“I understand you’ve met my children,” he said after a while. Zuko’s heart thudded in his chest. He couldn’t have heard much good about his encounters with them. There was a chance that they had neutral, if not good things to say about Iroh, but Zuko was anticipating Hakoda to order his men to tie Zuko up and toss him into the ocean. Hakoda took a step towards them and Zuko had to force himself not to bolt. If this was going to be his end, then the would meet it with dignity.

To his surprise, Hakoda reached out and clasped first Iroh’s arm, and then Zuko’s. Zuko started up at Hakoda, mystified. Had he gotten the two of them mixed up with some other defected royals?

“My daughter, Katara told me how you risked your lives to make sure that she and Aang could escape,” Hakoda told them. “I you a heavy debt saving my daughter, and the world owes you a debt for saving the Avatar. You’re welcome to join my men.” Zuko is relieved. At long last, his journey is over.

“Does…” Zuko paused a moment. “Does the Avatar know we’re here? We should probably start training as soon as possible.” Hakoda grimaced and shook his head.

“I had no idea we were going to be meeting you here until last week,” he told Zuko. The young prince’s brow wrinkled in confusion. Was a week not enough time to inform the Avatar that two former enemies were coming to teach him firebending? Katara had said that she would vouch for him, and her word had been enough to convince her father that he was on their side.

“Is it a problem that we’re here?”he asked. Hakoda shook his head.

“Well,” he said. “I’m afraid if you’re here to train Aang, it is. You see, they parted with us in the Fire Nation. Pakku’s letter reached me two days after that.” Only his desire not to look like a child throwing a tantrum kept Zuko from throwing himself onto the sand and screaming in frustration.  
Why was it that even when he was trying to help, the Avatar kept escaping from him?

“We’re going to meet up with them again before the invasion,” Hakoda assured the two. “There probably won’t be much of a point beginning training him in firebending before then anyway. Day of Black Sun and all.” Zuko bit back a sigh, but nodded.

“It is the Avatar’s destiny to master all four elements,” Iroh said with a sanguinity that threatened to drive Zuko up the cliffside. “I’m sure we will meet when we are supposed to.”

“Yes,” Hakoda agreed, nodding sagely. Then he motioned towards the fire. “Help yourself to dinner. We’re camping here for the evening, and we’ll set sail tomorrow for Choi.”

The trip to Choi wound up taking three weeks. The first week, the crew avoided talking to Zuko and Iroh. That was just fine with Zuko, who mostly kept to himself anyway, but Iroh took it upon himself to familiarize himself with the Water Tribe men. By the end of the second day, he had found a dinner companion in Bato; by the third day, Iroh was introducing the men to the finer points of tea preparation; by the end of the week, he had organized a music night. Fortunately, there wasn’t a tsungi horn in sight, so Iroh couldn’t force Zuko into active participation. And no one would get him to admit it out loud, but Zuko found the Water Tribe music interesting.

There was little by way of instruments in the Southern Tribe musical tradition, but Bato had made a tchauyuk- a round drum with a handle. He demonstrated it Iroh and Zuko, waving it as he hit the rim with a stick. Then Hakoda joined in with a song he called an ayaya- a song of personal longing. He was singing it in his own native tongue, so Zuko and Iroh didn’t understand the lyrics, but it sounded so melancholy that they were moved regardless.

“At home, everyone makes up their own ayaya,” Hakoda explained. “Then when we gather for a feast, we all perform them.”

“It sounds lovely,” Iroh sighed. “I hope one day to see for myself.” Hakoda and Bato exchanged uncertain glances, and then Hakoda shrugged.

“Maybe someday you will,” he said.

The second week on the ship, the crew began to notice that Zuko seemed to actually know what he was doing when he pitched into help with chores. He did things that no one thought of doing, like cleaning the flue of the ship’s engine and oiling the railings and the deck, so they wouldn’t rust. Then he proved himself adept at navigation when the ship was blown off course by a surprise storm. The Water Tribe men weren't familiar enough with the seas they were traveling to find their bearings without finding land first. They were still in Earth Kingdom, so it would be safe, but it would throw them off schedule by a week. Zuko, though was much more familiar with navigating those waters. He found a stash of disused star maps, and after the better part of a day with the charts, was able to guide the ship back on course with the loss of only a day or two. That night, some of the Hakoda’s men insisted on him joining them for dinner and telling them about some of his three years on the sea.

Zuko found it jarring to suddenly find himself being drawn into a camaraderie, but the men of the Water Tribe drew him into their circle in a way that not even his old crew had done. Part of Zuko wanted to embrace the change- he had never had any friends, and he was suddenly realizing how lonely his life had been up to now. Part of Zuko wanted to hide in his cabin. He didn’t know how to be a friend. He had nothing to offer these men who until very recently had been his enemies. So he existed in sort of a limbo during that third week, not retreating to his bunk, but not really speaking unless spoken to.

“You’re the strong silent type, eh kid?” Bato commented one day. Zuko had smiled awkwardly and shrugged. Bato laughed and clapped him hard on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll pry you out of your shell yet.”

That was perhaps less comforting than Bato intended.  
More and more, Zuko ended up in the small alcove at the bow of the ship after dinner with the crew, watching the waves break against the metallic sides. Iroh, understanding his nephew better than anyone else on board, left him alone during these times. But not everyone had Iroh’s insight to Zuko. When Hakoda found him one evening, he invited himself to join Zuko.

“I come here to think sometimes, too,” he told Zuko, offering him a mug of warmed spiced cider before he settled onto the deck beside him.

“Thanks,” Zuko murmured. He watched Hakoda out of the side of his eye as he took a sip. He had been waiting for this since he and Iroh had met him on the beach. This was going to be an interrogation.

“War makes for strange companions,” Hakoda said at last. Zuko turned to him in surprise.

“Sir?”

“I never thought in all my days that one day I would be fighting this war side by side with royalty from the very nation I’m fighting against.” Hakoda smiled ruefully at Zuko. “Destiny is a funny thing.”

“That’s what Uncle always says.” Zuko turned his gaze back to the inky expanse of ocean. Hakoda hummed thoughtfully and took a sip of his cider.

“Did you know my children well?” he asked Zuko.

“Erm...not...not really.” Zuko took a sudden interest in the contents of his mug. His grip tightened around it slightly, and he heated the liquid. “Um...I guess I know Katara best of all of them, but we only had a couple of conversations.”

“Really?” Hakoda’s eyebrows went up at that. He hadn’t gotten many details about how his kids and their friends knew Zuko. Only that he and Iroh saved their lives in Ba Sing Se. “How did that happen? Forgive me, but the last I heard of my children and Aang was from when Bato ran into them at an abbey in the Earth Kingdom. You weren’t on very friendly terms at the time, according to him.” Zuko shrugged. Katara told him that she hadn’t told her friends about moonlighting as the Painted Lady, and it seems that she hadn’t told her father about it either. He decided she must have her reasons, so he would keep her confidence.

“She helped me out with a couple of problems,” he told Hakoda. “She saved my life once, too. I haven’t spent as much time with anyone in the group besides her.” Hakoda waited expectantly for a few moments, but Zuko wasn’t offering up any more information, though he was certain there was more to the story. Hakoda sighed and looked up at the night sky.

“She told me you weren’t nearly the monster you tried to be,” he told Zuko. Zuko’s head turned sharply. “She said that you seemed to be a good person deep down.” Hakoda met Zuko’s gaze with that piercing stare that made Zuko want to shrink away. But then he smiled, and the sharpness of his eyes was blunted by sadness. “Katara is usually a good judge of character. She gets that from her mother. Kya was very good at reading people. Uncanny.”

“Katara told me what happened,” Zuko said. “I’m sorry.” Hakoda nodded.

“Your family has done some awful things to the rest of the world.” Zuko flinched, but didn’t argue. “There was a time when I thought no good could come from the Fire Nation. Sometimes it’s nice to be proven wrong.”

“Yeah.” Zuko finished the rest of his cider and set the mug aside. He shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Hakoda from his periphery.

“This can’t be easy for you,” Hakoda said. “It’s your father we’re going to defeat.” His tone was conversational. Light, as if he were a doctor prodding a wound to see how badly the patient was injured. Zuko’s jaws clenched.

“He disowned me,” he he told Hakoda as if that explained everything. Hakoda nodded somberly.

“That must have hurt.” Zuko shrugged.

“It wasn’t really a surprise,” he said. “I failed him.”

“How did you fail him?” Hakoda pressed. “Because you didn’t capture Aang?” Zuko shrugged again.

“Partly,” he said. “I’m too...soft. I’ve never been the son my father wanted. The things I needed to do to be like him or my grandfather...I...I just couldn’t. And now...I just want the war to be over.” Zuko pulled his knees to his chest and rested his forehead on his arms. He could feel Hakoda watching him. He wondered if he had said the wrong thing.

“We all want this war to end,” Hakoda said quietly. “What did your father ask of you that you couldn’t do?” Zuko’s spine stiffened. “You don’t have to answer that. I don’t want to pry if it’s too painful.”  
Zuko considered not answering. It wasn’t just that the memories were painful; they were shameful. He didn’t want Chief Hakoda to think less of him. He looked back at Hakoda, expecting the sharp, piercing gaze to fall on him again, but instead he found kindness in Hakoda’s eyes. An inexplicable lump formed in Zuko’s chest and lodged itself near his vocal cords. He looked down and cleared his throat.

“I disrespected my father,” he told Hakoda. “Three years ago, I was invited to sit in on a war council meeting. Uncle told me to just listen, but...One of the generals presented a plan to send a troop of new recruits to distract the Earth Kingdom army.” Zuko’s eyes flickered over to Hakoda’s face. Would he care about the fates of a troop of Fire Nation soldiers? Zuko squeezed his eyes shut.

“In the Fire Nation, every eligible man has to serve in the army. Whether he wants to or not. It’s...it’s the law. This troop that they were sending to the front, most of them weren’t much older than I am. Most of them weren’t even firebenders. And the ones that were, weren’t well trained.” Hakoda’s eyes widened as he understood what Zuko was telling him.

“They were going to sacrifice them,” he surmised. Zuko nodded.

“They would be put up against some of the best earthbenders in the world. They were going to be slaughtered.”

“And you...you told them it was a bad idea?” Hakoda asked. Zuko sighed.

“I should have stayed quiet,” he said. “I should have waited and spoken to Uncle later. I wasn’t a general or the Fire Lord. I was the heir, but I didn’t have rank, and it was disrespectful to speak out of turn.” Hakoda huffed indignantly.

“It sounds like you were the only one in that room with any sense of what was right.” He rubbed at the beard on his chin thoughtfully.

“I dishonored my father,” Zuko said quietly. Hakoda frowned. “I...I was challenged to an Agni Kai because of it, and I thought I was supposed to face the general I interrupted, but…” Zuko blinked against the burning in his eyes and swallowed hard.

“What’s an Agni Kai?” Hakoda asked, though he was sure he wouldn’t like the answer. Zuko rubbed his good eye with the palm of his hand.

“It’s a duel between fire benders,” he explained. “The loser is said to be dishonored by Agni himself. The lucky ones don’t survive.” Hakoda’s eyes were wide and his mouth agape in horror.  
“This was three years ago?” he asked. “You couldn’t have been more than twelve or thirteen.” Zuko’s mouth flattened into a thin line. He took a deep breath, and the two stood at the railing in silence, looking out over the black horizon.

“You said you faced the general who you interrupted,” Hakoda said after a short silence. “Is that...is that when.” His hand went up towards his face. Zuko winced.

“It wasn’t the general,” he told Hakoda.

“Then who-”

“I interrupted the general, but it was my father who I disrespected,” Zuko explained. Hakoda’s jaw clenched as much in anger as to keep his bile down. “I didn’t realize...and then when I saw him, I couldn’t fight. I showed weakness. I begged for mercy. And now this marks me as dishonored by Agni.” Zuko placed a shaking hand just under his scar. Hakoda didn’t say anything for a long time. His breathing was heavy, as if he had just run, or as if he were angry.

“It’s not weakness to care about people,” Hakoda told him when he finally spoke again. His voice quavered suspiciously. “And it’s not weak to ask for mercy.” Zuko shook his head.

“If I had been more like my father wanted me to be,” he said. “If I had behaved more honorably, then maybe…”

“Maybe you wouldn’t be here,” Hakoda said. “Maybe you would be back in your palace, pretending not to notice when your father sends untrained soldiers to their deaths. Maybe you’d be on the wrong side of this war.” Zuko turned to face Hakoda, but he couldn’t quite meet his eyes.

“I told Katara once that if I went home, maybe I could end the war from the inside.” Hakoda raised a skeptical eyebrow at that. “She told me that my father would burn the world before I got the chance. Do you...do you think she was right?”

“Like I said,” Hakoda chuckled humorlessly, “my daughter is good at reading people.” Zuko’s hand gripped the railing of the ship tightly.

“But if I were home, I might have been able to convince...someone...anyone to help me. To stand on my side. I feel like I’m running away. Who would stand by a coward?”

Hakoda stared at the young prince. He was young, for all he had done and experienced in his short life, he was barely a man by the Water Tribe’s standards. For a moment, Hakoda was reminded so powerfully of Sokka that he had to fight the urge to pull Zuko into a hug.

“The measure of a man's honor is not in who stands for him,” he told Zuko, “but in who he stands for. Zuko, you stood up for people who couldn't defend themselves. That is not something a coward would do. Refusing to fight your father isn’t cowardice, either.” Hakoda pointed at Zuko’s face. “That scar is a mark of courage. If anyone should be ashamed of it, it should be Ozai. He doesn't have half the courage or conviction of his own child. I'm proud to have you on my side.” Hakoda put his hand on Zuko's shoulder and squeezed gently. A tangle of impossible to name emotions formed a tight knot in Zuko's throat. He swallowed hard against it once...twice.

“Thank you, sir,” he was finally able to say. Hakoda smiled at him the way Zuko always imagined his own father smiling. The way he had never noticed Iroh had always smiled at him. It was too much. He lowered his eyes to the deck.

“It's pretty late,” Hakoda commented, looking up at the sky. “You ought to get some sleep. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.” Zuko nodded and mumbled something like a good night and hastily retreated to his bunk. Sleep didn’t come for him right away, though. Hakoda’s words ran through his mind for hours, mingling with his years of his uncle’s encouragements. Suddenly, all the things he had ever heard from his father rang false. Zuko almost smiled, alone in his bunk. For the first time since the fall of Ba Sing Se- for the first time since he first left the Fire Nation, Zuko felt almost hopeful.


End file.
